A Geek And A Twit
by SuperbiaRook
Summary: Oh, this 'story' is nothing, really, just the product of boredom and the love for Desmond and Shaun as well. A Geek And A Twit - that's just fitting and says everything. It is a Shaun/Desmond-Gay-Love-Story. Hah.
1. Chapter 1  Part I

Chapter I - Part I

It was quite silent for some minutes now already. The red haired Brit sat on his chair right in front of his desk. There were some photographs at the wall ahead, little marks on maps, lines that connected them with each other. Some nice design, that was. He used drawing pins which were linked to each other with fine red threads, so he wouldn't need to print the maps out over and over again when there had something changed in his conclusions thanks to new events.

_"Oi, Shaun. Think they made it out?"_

He had almost forgotten about the woman sitting some steps away in his back and got now pulled out of his thoughts about the connections between Leonardo da Vinci and Cesare Borgia by her - for a woman rather dark - voice. Very few moments he had to think about an answer - for him though, a few moments weren't even a second in that case.

_"Well, since I haven't heard any squealing tires yet, nor shots, I assume they indeed are on their way still and with a bit of luck, they weren't followed either - in case Lucy managed to follow my instructions, that is."_

Just when the Briton had finished his sentence, he heard the sounds in the hall on the lower floor - announcing the arrival of the two members of their new team. A satisfied smile crept up his lips when he heard the cars doors. So they finally made it to their hideout. Obviously they weren't followed for they didn't hurry at all. Sure, this was a good thing - but, damn, it wasn't like they'd have all the time in the bloody world now!

As soon as they entered, Shaun greeted Lucy with a small hug and let Rebecca do the same then. While the girls exchanged some words, Shaun eyed the stranger that was supposed to turn the tables now and make the whole operation on saving the world a lot easier. First of all his ancestors and hopefully secondly his bleeding effect were supposed to do that - and the not yet discovered skill to adapt to situations and learn new things rather fast would add up to that. In time, of course.

_"So, you must be the infamous subject seventeen.."_, he murmured.  
><em>"And you are?"<em> Desmond eyed the Brit up and down in a skeptical way. He didn't like it to be called like that, nor did he like that tone of the guy.  
><em>"Oh, where are my manners? Why, my name is Shaun Hastings and this is Rebecca Crane."<br>_The dark haired mechanic flashed Desmond a grin. _"Hey Desmond. Great to have you on board."_  
>Lucy got the memory core out of her pocket and gave it to the other woman. <em>"A parting gift from Abstergo."<em>, she commented with a plain smile.  
><em>"Whoah! The memory core! That'll make things a lot easier! I'll just have to insert it and-..."<em>  
>With that she was off already and took the core to her Baby. The blonde went to her laptop in the corner of the little loft and sat down behind her desk then, leaving the guys to each other.<p>

Both eyed one another for a few moments, then the Brit just turned around and walked back to his own desk, leaving Desmond alone at his position, staring blankly for a moment. So much for British politeness, huh?

The American stopped playing the statue-game and walked around a little to explore his new home. Well, if you wanted to call it that way. Golden eyes tried to catch every detail, beginning with the red lounger, which was supposed to become his best friend in future, and the cables that vanished under some dark cover so no one would stumble over them. There was some small screen too, right on top of some construction that seemed to be for getting the DNA information. Some of the cables led to servers which were lined up at the walls. After some moments in which he stood closer to Rebecca, she looked up at him and grinned.

_"'Sup?"  
>"Uh, just wondering what exactly your part is in this."<em>, he murmured then - not really being honest at that part now. Actually, he didn't. It was obvious. And so he didn't even listen. Just when she spoke of some baby, he repeated the word, making her explain. When she finally released him, he went closer to Shaun. Maybe he was just not the group person.

_"Hey."_, he greeted with a little smile. Maybe they just had a bad start?  
><em>"Hello, Desmond. Go away."<em>, the Brit replied.  
><em>"Hey!"<br>"You said that already."  
>"What-? Hey!"<br>"Indeed. Ensuing from your word pool you have to be a genius beyond comparison."  
>"You..! You..!"<br>"Thanks for the reassurement."_, Shaun mumbled and continued to click with his mouse.

Desmond took a deep breath and tried again now. He bent down to the Brit a little and looked over his shoulder right at the screen.

_"So, what is that stuff all about?"  
>"That stuff?"<em> Shaun now pulled away from him a little and turned onto the chair to face him better, adjusting the glasses while he spoke. _"Oh, that - that stuff, actually, is just the stuff that keeps the whole operation together and working. And it requires a great deal of concentration to do it, so if you wouldn't mind to just leave me be now and do my work, I would really appreciate that."_

And with those sentences he turned back to the screen again and continued to click and type some commands here and there, leaving Desmond startled another time. Nobody had ever managed to do that in that short period of time yet.

_"You.. still haven't told me what you're doing anyway.."_  
>A resigned sigh followed and Shaun turned around another time after he pressed enter, flooding the screen with some automatic commands now for a while and keeping it busy for now<em>. "I am providing you information about places your ancestors have been, people they met and some strategic hints when you are inside of the Animus and finally would start your work."<em>

Desmond tried to interrupt him and parted his lips to tell him that Rebecca wasn't ready yet, but Shaun just continued.

_"Additionally I supply the other assassins with information and strategies. You know, those that are out there. Actually doing stuff." _

Again, he turned around and left him with his mouth open.

_"Oh, come on.."_, Desmond murmured.  
><em>"I'm busy. Go away now."<br>"Shaun! " _Now it was the blonde that interfered_. "Be nice to Desmond."_, she added in a warning tone.  
><em>"Wha-What? He - is - disturbing my work!"<em>, Shaun protested right away.  
><em>"Hey guys, it's alright, I'm done with the configuration! Dez, you can enter the Animus 2.0 now."<em>, Rebecca announced and interrupted Shauns starting argumentation.

Desmonds eyes wandered the room for a moment, then he walked up to the lounger to lay down. Rebecca told him to take a deep breath and he did, trusting her fully. Then he slowly drifted off and was introduced to Ezio Auditore da Firenze - luckily not starting at the state of a baby but some years later.

Just like he promised, Shaun gave him information on his surroundings. To not interrupt the conversations he should listen to, he did so in writing. Something that irritated him a little on the first time. But, at least, nothing would change in the past and he could just talk to Shaun and the rest. The first fight started fast - a bit too fast for Desmond, who had to remember what he had learned thanks to Altair.

It took some tries to get to used to Ezio though.. but he somehow managed to synch the memories anyway. When they pulled him out, he was alone with Rebecca and Shaun.

_"Lucy's buying some groceries. We thought you might be hungry."_, Becca said and grinned again in that absolutely not lady-like-way.

Shaun remained silent at his desk, while Desmond slowly got up. His hand wandered to the forehead and he shook his head a little.

_"Are you alright, Dez?"  
>"Yeah.. yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, Bexx."<em>, he said and smiled at her a little.

He really was. But it felt strange to be pulled out or pushed in again. There were just so many impressions for his brains to get along with and work with now, that he almost couldn't handle all of it. For a few moments he just sat there, then he got up again.

_"Oh, shit. I gotta go, I'll be right back, guys, don't kill each other, okay?"_

Right away, Rebecca got up and ran a few steps, then he remembered his headset and put it down onto the desk, put the earpiece into his ear and ran outside finally. The barkeeper looked around. The room was only dimly lit now for it was evening already and the sun had already set, though they didn't want to draw any attention to their little hideout inside of the former company. Somehow it felt strange to be alone with Shaun.

_"Hey, uh... Good work today."_

Somehow he felt like he'd be supposed to start a conversation, so Desmond just tried with a little smile on his lips. But the Brit didn't feel like talking, obviously.

_"I mean - thanks. I really, uh, appreciate that you're helping me to understand what's, uh, up there."  
>"Was."<br>"What?"  
>"What was going on. Don't forget, it is distant past. This Ezio is not you. Never forget about that. Or you might end up in some clinic because of some mental disorder."<br>"Wait, you mean I can go nuts by being inside of the Animus!"  
>"Oh, Desmond, people can and will become insane everywhere because of everything. It is about control. You have to control it and you won't have any problems."<em>

Desmond came closer now and looked over Shauns shoulder then.

_"Actually, it is quite good to have you alone now, Desmond. There is something I would like to talk about with you..."_


	2. Chapter 1 Part II

Chapter I - Part II

A few minutes later, the former and soon-to-be-again assassin held his breath for a moment, then he took a deep one. Slowly, he pushed in. He could hear a low sigh from the British man. Somehow it sounded relieved. They were still in their hideout in Italy. It was dark outside and the lamps were out now, leaving them into full darkness. Desmonds head spun. How had he managed to get into this situation anyway? He remembered that Shaun told him that he'd like to talk about something with him.. And now he was right on his hands and knees.

_"Am I doing it right that way?"_, Desmond asked lowly, looking over his shoulder though he couldn't see that much anyway.  
><em>"Yes. Move a little closer to me."<em> Shauns voice sounded strangely soft now.

He moved backwards a little.

_"Ready?"  
>"Ready."<em>

And after the confirmation of the American had followed, Shaun moved again, too - and the lamps lit the room again.

_"About bloody time."_

Desmond got up again and brushed the dust off his clothes, then he turned around towards Shaun, who was now moving away from his laptop again. Somehow, he waited for some acknowledgement. It didn't come.

_"What? Oh, come on, Desmond, you can't expect me to thank you for finally doing something useful in here by replacing the bulbs and switching two cables to make them lighten the room better!"  
>"It.. took some time to get up to those, you know? And.. there are many cables down there."<br>"Of course, now that is a reason."_

Shaun rolled his eyes a little and moved back to his desk, then he sat down and leaned back in his chair.

_"Why the fuck do you always do that?"  
>"Actually, you have no right to say that I would do something 'always' since we don't know each other for longer than four hours and twenty-three minutes now, but let us just pretend that I would not care for that - Do <em>what_?"  
>"Just.. Just going away and letting me stand there alone without any comment like I'd be a complete idiot!"<em>

A smirk crept up Shauns lips which parted now to comment this, but Desmond interrupted him before he could even start.

_"You - You know what? Forget that I asked, man. Seriously. What is the deal with you!"_

It amused the Briton, this behaviour of that twit who managed to at least execute simple tasks. He turned towards his screen again and started to type on his keyboard. Still, Desmond just stood there like he'd be stuck in some wrong movie. His eyes wandered to Shaun for a moment, then he sighed himself and shook his head.

_"Great. So. Uh, other question.. Where do we sleep anyway?"  
>"What an inexpressible observation skill you seem to have again, Desmond. Obviously you did not look around properly. Right there, the little stairs up, is a bed."<br>"Seriously? __**All**__ of us are sleeping in that bed at the same time?"  
><em>Shaun let go of his computer again and turned towards the American now_. "I knew you aren't the brightest button that ever shone, but I assumed that you would have at least some intelligence left for realising that someone always has to watch and stay awake in case we would have visitors. So, no, obviously we are not sleeping in that bed together at once. Indeed we do have a second bedroom, a bathroom and even a kitchen we can use. Now you want me to show you around, I assume. Of course, of course, it's not like the world would fall apart now, is it? There is no need to assist those on the fields. No. Go ahead, let us just stroll around and leave them to die."  
>"It can't be THAT dramatic."<em>, Desmond murmured, then he shrugged. _"But, alright, I will just look around myself. Maybe I'd even find some reason for you being such an asshole, Shaun."_

He turned towards the door and walked through it, murmuring something like 'I hope the girls will be back soon, finally having some nice people around again', while Shaun resumed his work, letting his words and leave pass without a comment. It was unbelievable for the barkeeper that a man could be that frustrated - that was what he called it - to act just like the Brit did. Maybe the answer to the question why was already in this sentence, he thought. Brit. That could be it.

On his search for the bathroom, he found the other doors first. There was a small storeroom where some cleaning supplies got stored - a green bucket made of plastic, two mops, some sponges, quite a selection of cleaning agents, somehow they were ordered, but Desmond didn't get how - as well as a ladder. Great. So they **had** a ladder! Shaun had told him they had none and that would be the reason why Desmond had to climb and jump around to reach the bulbs. Again, great.

After the storeroom, he found the small, though fully furnished kitchen. Besides the red fitted kitchen including a stove and fridge, there was a table made of oak wood - the only wood in the kitchen that was visible now - with four chairs that matched the red of the kitchen unit, having a slight verve at the backrest and metallic legs. Though he would be interested in what food Lucy might have bought and somehow felt a tiny bit hungry now, he left the kitchen behind too and found the bathroom - finally.

It was all black - and he was glad it was. After all, the whole rooms in Abstergo had been plain white and that gave them the usual clinical touch of a hospital. Something he didn't want to spend time in ever again. Besides the sink and toilet, there was a washing machine and a shower. At least.

_"Shaun! Where's Desmond!"_, Rebecca yelled while she entered.

The girls had come back just when Desmond had gotten under the shower. Obviously she wasn't able to hear it in the main room.

_"How am I supposed to know where that bloody twit has gone? I am no bloody manny!"  
>"But, Shaun-!"<br>"Spare me, Rebecca, I know he went off to explore the other rooms, he won't be leaving anyway. Where is Lucy?"  
>"Downstairs. Move your lazy ass and get some of the bags upstairs now! We wanted to ask Dez, but since you're the only one left, move."<em>

Shaun sighed a little and moved downstairs then and helped Lucy with the bags. When he came back upstairs, Desmond was done with showering and just passed the Brit without even saying a word. He had found some of the clothes Lucy had provided him with in the bathroom - one set to be precise. The rest he had put into the washing machine.

_"Bloody twit!"  
>"Shut up you geek."<em>

Rebecca was at the Animus 2.0 again already, taking care of her baby, when Desmond entered the hall.

_"Hey."  
>"Ahh, Desmond!"<br>"Good you're back - but, why did you run off so quickly before?"  
>"I found Lucys earpiece. She forgot to take it with her. But we need to stay in touch when we're outside. What happened to the bulbs anyway?"<em>  
><em>"Ah, Shaun said he'd 'need to request my help' because 'our female companions' wouldn't want the light to be brighter again for they would 'think of the dim light as romantic' and told me to exchange the bulbs and change some cables."<em>  
>Rebecca rolled her eyes and patted Desmonds shoulder. <em>"Oh, man, those Brits, huh?"<em>, she said and flashed him a grin again, making the barkeeper grin himself before she took care of Baby again.

When Lucy entered again, she smiled happily at Desmond. _"Desmond! Come, eat something. I have bought some instant meals."  
>"Uh, yeah, sure, thanks."<em>

He left for the kitchen and found Shaun again, leaning against the kitchens counter while he read some e-book on his reader. There was a water kettle doing its work in his back, white steam ascending from it.

_"Hey."_

Desmond moved to his side as he could see some instant meal right next to the water boiler. He reached for the package, but Shaun grabbed his wrist before he could reach it and shot him a glance over the glasses.

_"That's mine."_, he said then in a calm though warning voice, making Desmond blink at him a little.

Where did that come from all of a sudden?

_"Uh, sure. Wouldn't want to keep ya from eating something, alright? Jus' tell me where you store these."_

He tried to pull back his hand but didn't succeed right away. That was impressive! Desmond never would have thought that he'd need to spend energy to loosen the grip of a geek! Maybe he wasn't as much in shape as he believed he'd be.

Shaun let go of him finally and pointed towards one of the lower cupboards.

_"I assume Lucy put them in there. She did last time."_

The water boiler stopped then and Shaun didn't turn around though, now that Desmond presented him his back, bending down again. Actually, this twit had his charms, he thought while he now got a good look at the bottom of that American. When he found something and got up again, Shaun turned his own back on him though and took care of his own food - and tea. As soon as Desmond saw the little tea bag labeled with 'Earl Grey', he looked around again.

_"Uh, do we have some coke or anything drinkable in the first place besides dyed water with, eh, gross flavor?"  
>"Excuse me?"<br>"That tea. It's nothing but dyed and flavored water."  
>"Bloody American. No taste. But, let us assume that you would be right - what difference is there to your coke? Oh! I know. It's the flavour enhancer and the sugar, isn't it? No. We sure do not have bloody coke."<em>

Desmond grimaced a little and used the rest of the water for his own noodles he had put into a bowl now.

_"Fine, so, do we have anything besides fucking tea?"  
>"You can have soda."<br>"What flavor?"  
>"What?"<br>"What flavors do we have?"  
>"You-" <em>Shaun sighed and muttered then_ "Bloody Americans" _before he answered:_ "I am talking about mineral water. Not lemonade."_

Desmond was almost a little disappointed now when he heard that, but shrugged then. It wasn't like it'd be apocalypse to drink something like that. Better than dyed water anyway. While Shaun moved to the table and sat down to have his soup, - well, in a few minutes of course - Desmond found the bottles of water and took one of them to drink right out of the bottle, not even asking for a glass now. There'd just be some bitchy response anyway.

With his own bowl, some spoon inside of it in the one and the bottle in his other hand, he walked over to the table himself and sat down at the long side, so quite around the corner from Shauns point of view, who was noticing but not commenting on it since he already read again.

_"What are you reading anyway?"  
>"It is a biography of Leonardo da Vinci."<br>"Who?"_

Shaun was stunned for a moment and stared at Desmond with a blank expression.

_"You are kidding me, aren't you?"  
>"Uh, no?"<br>"Da Vinci. Leonardo Da Vinci."_

Still no reaction.

_"The Mona Lisa? Leonardo Da Vinci? Codes? A genius?"  
>"Oooh! Wasn't that some movie? The Da Vinci Code?"<em>

Shaun gaped. He did not know Da Vinci? And now he was talking about a bloody movie messing with him! The genius himself? The most clever man that ever existed?

_"You are such a lucky sod and are too dumb to realize how lucky you really are! You bloody twit! This is unbelievable!"  
>"What? Wait, why? Why am I- Wait. Did you just insult me?"<br>"Your ancestors, the Auditore family - especially Ezio Auditore - was very close friends with Leonardo Da Vinci. And for your information, this man just happened to be the most intelligent man in many fields. To name only a few, we are talking about paintings - some of the most expensive paintings are made by him - and designs, weapon designs to be more precise, just as well as the first flying machine he built! How can you not have heard of Leonardo Da Vinci!"_

A moment of silence passed, then there was Lucys voice. After all it was rare that Shaun shouted.

_"Are you guys alright over there?"  
>"Oh, of course we are, Lucy - You just brought the most infantile bloody American without any general knowledge or historical knowledge anyway into our operation! He didn't even know <strong>LEONARDO DA VINCI<strong>!"  
>"I am not infantile - and stop insulting me!"<br>"Belt up and eat!"_

Desmond growled a little, but took the spoon then and with it some noodles.

"Desmond, don't-"

But too late. He already had put the now thanks to the hot water hot spoon with the hot noodles into his mouth and burned his tongue with that, yelping for a second and throwing the spoon away. Shaun instantly pushed the milk to him he had placed onto the table for his tea earlier.

"Here, drink this, that might help."

Desmond did so and felt that the milk really soothed it a little. He almost whined a bit when he said:

"Don't tell me that I'm stupid now.. just.. just shut up."

The Brit had to smile and really said nothing but pulled the teabag out of his tea and put it on the saucer. Somehow that was almost cute if it wouldn't be that sad to have someone with the intelligence of a dog at their side.


	3. Chapter 2 Part I

Chapter 2 - Part I

Some days had passed now and living with each other - or rather next to each other - had become daily routine. In the morning - to Desmond it was always morning when he got out of the Animus, despite the real daytime - he ate something after being ordered to do so, for it was rare that he was hungry himself, and took a shower afterwards.

It was the same this time. At least he thought it would be. When he left the Animus this time though, he was alone with Shaun, who bent over him a little.

_"Wha-what are you doing?"_, Desmond exclaimed right away, staring at him in disbelieve.

That just couldn't be. Shauns breath had the scent of mint, most probably thanks to the tea. The dark haired man blushed a bit as he realized what this position had to look like for some third person. Thanks to the angle, he couldn't even see Shauns eyes or his gaze properly, hidden behind the reflection of his glasses. The younger one swallowed hard and looked up at the Brit who took his time for an answer now. That was unusual. This much was for sure.

_"What do you think I am doing, Desmond?"_

His voice was a silent humming in Desmonds ears, making him shiver all over thanks to the light vibrations this timbre sent him now. Actually, he didn't want to answer that question. Because, seriously, his thoughts just **had** to be wrong.

It felt like they would have spent an eternity like that. Shaun being bent over Desmond, one knee supporting his weight at Desmonds side, his right arm supported his upper body and was positioned next to Dez' neck. The American was right underneath him, being stuck between awkwardness and curiosity. Then, finally, Shaun changed his position and let go of him. A moment passed in which they looked into each other's eyes, then Shauns hand that hadn't supported his body wandered downwards and revealed a screwdriver.

_"I've been fixing the screen. You just proofed the worst timing again, wanting to get out of the Animus just then. What was it this time? Did Vieri tease you again?"_

Shauns voice carried a smirk with it as he got up fully now, releasing Desmond by doing so. The dark haired man almost jumped out of the Animus.

_"Never ever do that again, will you?"_, the barkeeper exclaimed right away.

With a low laugh, Shaun replied drily then: _"What? Improving the Animus so it won't grill your last brain cells left? Or making you actually blush - for whatever reason?"_

Desmond ignored the question at first - well, that was what he had intended to do at least - and he did his best to do so. But sometimes the best just isn't enough...

_"Both! N-No, I mean- the latter! Not that..- I didn't-"_

Shaun smirked again, that smart, cocky smirk that told only the truth about him anyway. He was. Both. Though, the nerd let Desmond leave without embarrassing him any further for now. These were the magical words. The next occasion was sure to come.

Desmond managed to get into the bathroom quite fast now, succeeding in shutting up this time. He locked the door twice, then he undressed rather fast. Why the fuck did that Brit turn him on? That wasn't acceptable at all! Not one bit. He wasn't gay or something! Not at all! Well... obviously a little, though.

For a moment he stared at his reflection in the mirror. Was that true? Did he really have a crush on that British bastard who acted as if Desmond would be some dumb dog? But even more important: What about the geek himself? He somehow seemed to provoke these situations. Maybe force them. Maybe-

_"Desmond? Are you still in there?"_

Shaun was right on the other side of the locked door. As soon as Dez realized this, he felt his heartbeat speeding up. He still hadn't answered yet.

_"Desmond!"_ He sounded worried and alarmed now.  
><em>"Yah- Yeah, I'm okay."<em>, he replied hastily then and looked towards the door.  
><em>"You bloody twit! What took you so bloody much time to answer!"<em>  
><em>"I was just <em>thinking_!"_, Desmond defended himself now, blushing hard.  
><em>"Why, that explains it of course."<em>, Shaun replied in his mocking tone. _"Hurry, Dez."_  
><em>"Shut up and create a database!"<em>, he groaned back, then - before Shaun would add how very important his role in this was - he switched the warm water on got under the beam the shower head provided him with.

His long fingers moved along the well-shaped body. Obviously being inside of the Animus somehow activated his muscles, too. He looked better than ever. Ever-ever. And felt better, too. When he was washing his body now, he couldn't help but stop at some part. The fingers slid across his loins, slowly along his member, which obviously had gotten a little excited about the Shaun-encounter. God, this just couldn't be! Shaun wasn't his type, was he? He tried to imagine him as a woman but... no. He switched back to the male Brit he was again. If poor Desmond only knew what would happen soon, he might have done more than cleaning himself and waiting for the semi-erection to go away under much cooler water.

About twenty minutes and some cold water later, Desmond got out of the bathroom again - dressed in a towel and nothing more. Not that he wouldn't have wanted to dress up - he just couldn't. Usually, Lucy had prepared fresh clothes for him, had stored them into one of the cupboards in the bathroom, but not this time. Maybe that was because she was too distracted by other things lately - god knew what things those were - and had simply forgotten about it. That was how Desmond ended up sneaking to the other bedroom he rarely slept in. Still some drops of water left traces upon the lightly tanned skin while they made their way downwards from his chest across the stomach to finally get caught by the white towel he had wrapped around his hips.

When he entered the room, he looked around first. There was not much to be seen in there: A plain metallic double bed with dark blue sheets - just so that they didn't look like those Abstergo used - with an oak wooden nightstand next to it and some small lamp on it and the matching wardrobe on the other side of the room. That was exactly where he intended to go. Still with bare feet he sneaked closer, as if he would expect someone to catch him by anything! There was nothing wrong with getting dressed, was there? When he reached the dresser and opened the door by sliding it to one side, he saw something in the reflection of the black glass that was embedded into the wood, just in the second he slid it aside. Right away he slid it back and in the next moment he was pressed up against the wood, feeling a body right behind him. There was one hand at his nape, the other one right above of his bottom on the skin of his lower back. He could smell mint again when the breath of the Brit brushed his ear.

_"Desmond.."_

The voice was soft but teasing and made him shiver by the mere sound of his name being spoken by him.

_"Wha-? Shaun... get off me...!"_, he said, but earned nothing but a low, dark chuckle at his ear.

The hand at his back moved upwards a little and traced the spine of the barkeeper, slowly wandering up, then down again, applying light pressure against it. Without even noticing, Desmond arched his back and moved his butt against the bulge hidden in those dark trousers of Shaun. The Brit's fingers ran through Desmond's hair as he bit his ear lobe, then he grabbed the dark strands of hair and pulled his head back.

_"Do you really want me to?"_

Desmond knew the answer, but bit down on his lip instead of saying it. Again there was his name at his ear, lowly groaned this time. The Briton's tone was almost a little needy now, desperate. Obviously, he had been waiting for this since quite some time now.

_"Desmond."_ Again this voice while he pushed him harder against the dresser.

Then he opened his eyes again. Right above of him was Shaun, looking down at his face.

_"Bloody twit! I've been calling your name for five whole minutes now!"  
>"Wha-? What? What happened?"<em> The confusion was obvious.  
><em>"You tell me! Never lock the door twice again. Well, if it is lockable again, that is."<em>

Now the American looked over to the door. Obviously someone had broken the lock to get inside. Obviously that someone was Shaun. Just now Desmond realized that he was naked underneath the fully dressed Brit, who followed Dez' gaze down to his again semi-erected member. A smirk showed up on the lips of the redhead and for a second he could have bet there was a slight glisten in his eyes, but that might just as well have been because of the reflection of the glasses.

_"It seems like you had had some nice dream."_, the Brit commented and got up now. _"Watch the floor better next time - unless you want to lose more brain cells again by falling again."_ Shaun moved to the door and got outside. _"Hurry, Desmond - I used the time to actually prepare fresh food."_

And just then Desmond reconstructed in his mind what had happened: He had been showering and when he got out of the shower he slipped on the floor and hit his head at the sink which sent him to some nice dream.. ..Nice? Wait.. what was that again?

At least he managed to distinguish between dream and reality now. But just how had this come to his sub-consciousness?


	4. Chapter 2 Part II

Bloody twit! He had actually worried about this moron! Well, nothing special about this, really. At least not with a scene like this. Desmond's DNA was the key to prevent Abstergo and the rest of the templar pack from taking over the world and reform it like they desired.

And if that precious boy was all alone in the locked bathroom, Shaun as the only one left to watch couldn't just leave him all alone for Christ's sake! So he had been in the kitchen to stay close and started to cook something for keeping himself busy. A good idea when he looked back at the decision right now. After all, there had been that dull sound of an impact then and Shaun had turned the stove off immediately, got himself some cooking spoon and had called Desmond's name twice before he had managed to break the lock, thanks to some strength and knowledge about physics.

As soon as he had found Desmond on the ground, he was alarmed and bent over him to check his vital signs. Of course. After all they kind of had to depend on him. He held the memories of his ancestors they so desperately needed. But, actually, he wouldn't have thought that he would get a so axiomatic evidence for him still being alive shortly after.

Now they sat in the kitchen, Desmond dressed again, though Shaun would not really have minded to keep him naked at his side. Well... side.

_"What? Why are you grinning?"_ Desmond's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. Unfortunately.  
><em>"Oh, my apologies if I'm not allowed to show emotions anymore in these dangerous days. But if you want someone that doesn't, you should better get someone else to watch over you."<br>"..Wait, you mean like... a guard?"  
>"Guard indeed does sound better than manny."<em>, Shaun commented.  
><em>"Don't you Brits have these emotionless guards anyway? Why do you show any to begin with then?"<br>"You mean the Queen's Guards. And they possess emotions but don't show them."  
>"Proof that!"<em>, Desmond demanded with a challenging grin.  
><em>"Why, you could do that yourself: Go to Buckingham Palace and bother one of them that are going to have their time off shortly after - I bet as soon as he sees you again, he truly will show emotions."<em>

A moment of silence passed.

_"I guess... I better wouldn't, huh?"_

Shaun smiled, then he drank his tea, obviously enjoying this - or some mental cinema for a few moments.

_"Hey. Why don't we get one of these guards to watch over me?"_

The redhead shot him a glance of the you-can't-be-serious-kind.

_"What? Care to answer my question?"  
>"Really, Desmond? First of all, they are Queen's Guards. That name should basically answer your question. But since I know that you are one of the slower kind, just like Ezio, I will ask you some questions in return: Are you a woman? Are you British? Are you part of the royal family? No? I almost thought so judging by your appearance, your gestures, way of speaking and that little incident a few minutes ago. For that matter, what did you think of anyway?"<em>

Desmond, who had tried to speak up every now and then went perfectly silent in that moment of the question which had to be asked and for a few moments he was unable to think of an acceptable response.

_"That's none of your fucking business!"_, he replied. Oh. Wow. Desmond. An awesome way to outsmart Shaun...  
><em>"Oh? Because you reacted only when I was close already."<em> ...a way that won't work out at all.

Desmond was startled for a moment. Really? Had he? Truth was, he had. Though...

_"That was a fucking coincidence!"_, he exclaimed and made Shaun smile by that.

This kind of mocking I-know-what-you're-thinking smile was right on his lips. Dez almost couldn't believe that the Brit even possessed the ability to show such smiles. A shiver ran down Desmond's spine and he continued to eat. But Shaun didn't want to let it slip - not this time.

_"So, what did you think of?"_, the Brit asked and eyed Desmond up and down now, waiting for reactions that would betray him if he lied. And Shaun knew how to distinguish between lie and truth exactly.

_"O-Okay, so what, I thought of Lucy. So what? I'm a little into her. So what?"_, Desmond tried his luck, making his voice sound a little angry as if he'd be indignant about the fact that Shaun even dared to ask.

But he didn't give his thoughts away while he watched him, then he shook his head after some moments of silence. _"It is plainly unbelievable that you managed to stay alive up to today with your eyes and face and even your voice giving away that you're lying. You are really a bad liar. Let's just hope that we never have to rely on your lying skills.."_, Shaun said, then he shook his head yet again. _"Don't try to lie to me if you absolutely can't disguise the truth. It's only humiliating for both of us."  
><em>Desmond replied way too late: _"I didn't lie! I absolutely was thinking about her. I-I mean, this... uh..."_ He hesitated for a moment. _"...breasts?"_, he gave it a try and eyed Shaun, who just sat there with quite a poker face and returned that gaze.  
>A sigh followed up and the Brit adjusted his glasses when he spoke again. <em>"Desmond, really"<em>, he started. _"Despite the fact that you consumed way too much time to even think of a reply, you simply are not even the breast-type. I watched you. You never stared at somebody's chest."_ Shaun got up and walked to the kitchen sink right in front of Desmond and started to clean the plates. _"Actually, you stare at the behind of everyone instead. Their backsides."_, the redhead commented lowly.

Right then Desmond was taken away by his thoughts. His gaze had wandered to Shaun's ass right then. That geek was right! Fuck. Dez hadn't even actually realized until now. But that was nothing to be embarrassed about, was it? After all he wasn't gay or anything, right? Right.

Shaun moved a little piece of paper right into Desmond's line of vision right over his butt. There was nothing but an arrow upwards scribbled onto it.

_"I know that you're staring at my arse, too, Desmond."_, the Brit said in a calm way. Obviously he actually didn't mind.

Shaun spoke on while he turned around to face him again, drying off some glass with his towel.  
><em>"What? I really am interested in is what you're thinking of when you do."<em>, he said._ "Do you imagine anything? Are you dirty minded, Desmond?" _His voice turned into a low purring sound, caught between mocking and arousing.

Desmond though was speechless for a moment. Where did that come from anyway? It seemed to be so sudden. The younger couldn't quite grasp what just happened. How the hell did he end up like this anyway? Stuck between Shaun and the table? As soon as this sentence crossed his mind, other images followed up to fill it. He stared at the redhead in a blank way for some moments. He thought of being right in front of that table, being pressed against it, having Shaun behind him, touching him at various places, kissing his earlobe, his neck-

_"Found something else of interest?"_ Shaun's voice called him back to reality once again.

The black-haired American swallowed hard. He had been staring right at the full lips of the Briton. Full of fascination.

_"No."_ Desmond got up and walked towards the door.  
><em>"Liar."<em>, Shaun breathed and grabbed him by the arm. Desmond stumbled against the wall and let out a surprised gasp which got stifled by these lips he had stared at only moments ago. He felt them on his own.

The redhead held Desmond's hands next to his head, right pinned against the light blue wall. Their hearts both beat faster and Dez felt that his head spun like hell. How did that happen? He wasn't gay, nor bisexual, was he? But then again there was that bathroom-incident. Maybe Shaun did something to make him think such things? Without even noticing, Desmond parted his lips and moved them against Shaun's. They were so fucking soft. He was gentle. The former assassin would never have thought that kissing Shaun would be a thing describable by the word 'gentle' to begin with. Actually, he had always thought that the man would be asexual to begin with.

The door of their hideout's hall opened up, audible to both of them. Realizing that he would have had the possibility all the time, the black-haired tilted his head backwards and broke the kiss, panting for a moment. He had forgotten to breath.

_"Shaun-"_, he started, but broke off again.  
><em>"We won't tell anyone about this. And if you don't flinch, we can continue. We have about five minutes until they'll be up here. A little more, depending on how much they bought."<em>, Shaun said in a low murmur and just waited in their position for a few seconds, then Desmond's lips caught his again and the kiss started over once again while Shaun's hands released the lower arms to now touch Desmond's palms and feel his skin for the few moments they had. 

_"We're back guys!"_, the dark-haired woman announced five minutes later.

Shaun released the kiss and adjusted his glasses, cleared his throat right afterwards and released Desmond out of his grip. His eyes stared at him in an intense way for a few seconds, then he walked back to the sink.

_"Oh, so the ladies are finally done with their little shopping? It's about time. This twit is a pain in the neck."_, the Brit stated when Lucy and Rebecca entered the room.  
><em>"Shaun! Don't be mean."<em>, the blonde admonished the Brit in a harsh voice before she addressed Desmond._ "Are you okay?"_, she asked with a now concerned tone and Dez stared at her blankly for a moment.  
><em>"What?"<em>, he asked then, still a little startled by the scene that just had happened.  
><em>"You look different..."<em>, she murmured. Now worried, she added: _"Did you catch a fever?"_ while she stretched out her arm and her fingers reached for Desmond's forehead. _"No, your temperature is usual.."_, she said with an irritated voice.

Desmond softly shoved her hands away from him._ "I'm okay, really."_, he said with a smile and looked over at Shaun again as soon as Lucy let go of him and turned away.

Where had that come from? Why did he like it? Had it been so long that he had been with a woman that he was okay with guys now, too? The older one of the guys returned the gaze and watched Desmond's face. After some seconds though he moved closer to him and murmured to his ear: _"Your face betrays you again."_ Then he passed him and helped to get their shopping stored in their proper places.

_"You know, it wouldn't hurt you to help us, too, Desmond."_, he said in a mocking tone.

Desmond just didn't get it. What the fuck was wrong with this Brit? In the one moment he was hot and on fire for him and then again he was that mocking, arrogant geek. Still confused, he muttered a _"Yeah, sure"_ and got to the bags to start unpacking one of them.


	5. Chapter 3 Part I

Jump, roll, get up, run, jump, run, leap of faith.

_"We really enjoy watching Ezio jumping around, Desmond, but could you please just go to Forli now?"_

Only some hours had passed. Hours in which Rebecca and Lucy had been around. They had talked about the strategy and said that progress of Desmond was incredible, but he had to continue his training. So Desmond had gotten back into the Animus once again and was supposed to continue now. A smile was on his lips while he ran - after all he really enjoyed that. It was a whole different story to the Blackhills back then. It felt like freedom he hadn't had over the last years. Though, with Shauns complaint, Desmond's smile vanished.

_"What? I thought I was supposed to learn!"_, Dez protested.  
><em>"Well, there is no denial. You indeed are. Nonetheless you should continue, too. I have some more records that tell me that Ezio hadn't only had this artifact but another one, too. Therefore your progress has to be made by fulfilling his tasks so they will hopefully and most probably lead us to the final, major part. If you remember, you already gave Abstergo quite a good hint with Altair's apple and we are indeed running out of - Bloody hell, did you- did you just stab that guard just for fun?"<br>"No, I thought it'd make you shut the fuck up."_, Desmond replied flatly while fighting off the other guards that followed thanks to the action.

Unfortunately, the assassin couldn't see what he triggered in Shaun's face with that. Luckily, we don't just follow Desmond, dear reader. Shaun was baffled. His jaw hat dropped a slight bit - something he only allowed himself for he couldn't be seen like that to begin with, with his back to the girls - his nostrils bloated a little and he was right between indignation, since Desmond dared to try to silence him, astonishment because he had managed to, confusion because he had no bad consciousness from killing one of them - up until now, Desmond had always tried his best to avoid the killing of other persons than his targets - and arousal because of this repartee he possessed now all of a sudden. His eyes gleamed in excitement. Oh, he so had decided for one of these feelings! The redhead had been quiet for some time now though and Rebecca spoke to break the silence.

_"Whoah! Desmond! Even I didn't manage to make him shut up. And I had way more tries already."_, she said in an admiring tone and full of respect, with a wide grin on her lips.

The black haired assassin in disguise - thanks to the information about Ezios appearance in his DNA - moved on now anyway and really traveled to Forli without encountering any more problems on the way - or any Shaun comments. Which, most probably, was because he had to take care of some work for those assassins outside on the fields.

After the fight with the Orsini brothers they paused again and let Desmond have something to eat right away. When he entered the kitchen, Shaun followed straight up. His gaze could be described as 'so piercing it was already penetrating' [annotation of the author: "I know, the adjectives would make more sense the other way around, if any, but the joke would just be lost entirely."]. Dez didn't see it first, giving Shaun his back. He ate an apple - or at least that was what he intended to do. Desmond though was the type of guy that peeled the fruits first, even if it wasn't really necessary, and cut it into pieces, then too before eating it. So he took a knife out of the drawer and started to peel the apple. Shaun though didn't give a bloody damn about this now. He drew closer until he was right behind him and the centers of their bodies contacted. Close to Desmond's ear, Shaun's lips paused and a low, dark grown evaded these. His warm, minty breath made Desmond's skin tingle._ "You're doing not even half as bad as I thought you would.."_, Shaun mumbled. His right hand reached for the water boiler and made Desmond jerk a little thanks to the sudden movement. A smile curved Shaun's lips.

That though wasn't what made him shiver all over again and again. Not that he could know for sure, but he would actually bet that Shaun was going to get a serious hard-on down there if he'd only move his hips a little now. And indeed, a little would have been enough. Shaun's trousers were rather tight right now. Dez had to put the knife away to prevent cutting himself with it any second thanks to the distraction these thoughts offered to him. He closed his eyes for a moment, swallowing hard, as he felt Shaun's breath at his neck. No, no, no, no, no! Don't think about this any further!

_"What is it, Desmond?"_ Shaun's voice was a low, purring sound at Dez' ear, while the left hand wandered under the hoodie and Desmond's jeans.  
><em>"N-No, don't-"<em>, he hissed, but broke off again to let a low pant out. Shaun's fingers had moved along the younger one's black boxer shorts and his manhood underneath it.  
><em>"You mean I should stop this?"<em>, the Brit purred again and his hand slid over his member with way more pressure now. Desmond panted louder and Shaun grabbed the cup which he got out of the cupboard with his right hand in the meantime.

Desmond whispered a very low _"No"_ and blushed harder, feeling how hard he got right now.  
><em>"Didn't you intend to prepare something to eat for yourself?"<em> The tone was bittersweet. Oh, the Briton obviously enjoyed to have the little American in his hand. _"Maybe I should really better stop.."_, Shaun suggested and made an attempt to loosen his grip now, grinning widely. Right away Dez grabbed his wrist and kept his hand in place.

_"Is that a no?", _Shaun murmured deeply into his ear.

An obscure laugh evaded the Brit's lips which he pressed softly against Desmond's neck. They wandered down for a moment, over his shoulder, then he finally released the tea bag and left it in the mug. A low moan fled from the younger one's mouth and the Brit smirked.

_"No, no, no, Desmond.. That's not okay.. stay silent, we don't want the women to know, do we?"_, Shaun murmured into Dez' ear, then he let the left hand stroked far more intensely over the shorts. His loins moved against his behind again and made Desmond realize, that he wasn't the only one who was turned on by this.

_"You don't even know what you did to me with your behaviour earlier, do you?"_, Shaun murmured deeply into his ear now.  
><em>"Wha-What?"<em> Was he really supposed to speak now? He could hardly think!  
><em>"You killed a man.. 'to make me shut up'.."<em>, Shaun's right hand turned Desmond's face towards him, now that the boiling water was inside of the cup already without Dez having noticed to begin with. _"That resistance and stubbornness.. When I recognise these characteristics at others, I find it unnerving. Once I recognised them at you, I found it charming and amusing. You indeed are a clumsy, ignorant, twit, Desmond. But you are a major turn-on to me, too."_

Desmond had literally a hard time to concentrate on Shaun's words and actually get the essence of them. As Shaun's hand wandered into Desmond's boxers, he gasped for a moment, but got silenced by the Brit's lips just then. The kiss was more passionate than the American would ever have thought possible. He groaned into it and lost his breath along the way, still panting while the older one's hand grabbed his cock firmly and stroked it with obviously quite some experience. Shaun rubbed his own loins against Desmond's arse still, imagining him undressed underneath him, right pressed against the kitchen table. He would like to make the image become real, but he was sure Desmond wasn't ready for this yet. After all he didn't even really dare to look at him like this and the flushed cheeks were an indicator for him being all embarrassed about the situation.

Softly, the Brit bit Desmond's lower lip and when he let go again, his tongue moved along Desmond's. At least in their kisses the American got a bit more confident. And after some moments, to Shaun's surprise, he even rubbed his ass against Shaun's boner now, all by himself. Something that made the heat inside of the redhead raise even more. This American really was convenient..

Shaun's right hand moved under Desmond's clothes now, too and upwards over his chest. Slowly the fingernails scratched down again and Dez moaned lowly into the kiss they still shared to muffle each other's sounds.

When Shaun's thumb moved across Desmond's glans repeatedly though, the black haired already came right against Shaun's hand. A shaky breath left his lips when Shaun let go of his cock now and the Brit used some paper towel to wipe his cum away. He smirked at Desmond. "..Well..? Did you enjoy yourself?"

The black haired couldn't really believe that this had actually happened. Wasn't he straight only some hours ago? ..No. No, actually he wasn't.. These fantasies didn't come to him out of the blue. It must've had slumbered inside of him. Slowly, the assassin turned around and looked at Shaun now, still a little flushed. Then he let his hand slide across Shaun's crotch now, feeling his dick underneath the clothes. He looked up at him. Ah, god damn it, he had done it for him, too, hadn't he? But when he opened his belt...

_"Guys! Are you alright in there!"_ Rebecca was on her way. Shaun pushed Desmond away a little.  
><em>"Well, make a guess."<em>, Shaun said in annoyed tone and pulled the tea bag out of his tea, while Desmond now hastily peeled the apple. That was a close one. She entered while they were, well, busy with their actual stuff and Shaun already sat at the table.  
><em>"You were so silent over here."<em> She grinned and got herself a can of coke, then she leaned against the door a little_. "Dez? Just tell us when you're ready to go and we'll continue right away."  
>"Yeah. Alright."<em>, Desmond replied and gave her a smile, then, when she had left, he looked over at Shaun again. _"..Sh..Should I..?"_  
>The Brit smiled a little, but shook his head. <em>"Too conspicuous."<em>, he replied in a very low tone.

Yeah, Shaun. Figure something out for yourself then, hah?


	6. Chapter 3 Part II

After having spent what felt like an eternity in the showers with the excuse that the twit had spoiled his clothes with milk that soaked right through his black pants, Shaun returned freshly showered with slightly wet hair, back to the room where the Animus was. Of course he had provided himself with fresh clothes and he had to admit that he did not like to shower with the broken lock either. Yet, it was a necessity by now. He had no choice in this if he didn't want Desmond to break down in the bathroom without anyone around to help him. Due to the lack of his favorite pullunder, he was wearing a dark green sweatshirt now, yet had rolled up the sleeves at his arms. He walked back to his laptop and right next to it was a cup with his favourite tea – still steaming hot. Attached to it was a post-it.

„_Sorry!"_

He could not say that this was a handwriting he knew well. So it was neither Rebecca's nor Lucy's. It must have been Desmond scribbling this on the note. He let out an annoyed sigh.

„_What is it?"_, Rebecca asked him, looking over to the Brit. Desmond was in the Animus again already.

„_That ignorant American forgot the milk."_, Shaun replied in a bugged tone. Of course that wasn't the reason for the sigh. But he had an image to uphold. He couldn't let the others know that he in fact appreciated the gesture and thought it was a nice idea – and a smart move at that. Of course the girls would think the sorry was about the milk when really it was only about the fact that Desmond could not help Shaun out himself, apparently.

Would Shaun only know how glad Dez was that he had evaded that for now.

„_Oh, Shaun you're such a jerk!"_, Rebecca complained. _„He made tea for you! He actually asked me how long you let the tea bag in your cups so it would be just the right timing, too! Not that I'd know that, of course, but he did ask at least!"_

Admittedly, the Brit didn't really listen anymore while she continued to rant about him and his ignorance. Quite ironic, actually. In his mind he imagined the still flustered Desmond standing in the kitchen, bearing in his mind what they had just done while he tried to fulfill a simple task like making tea for him in an attempt to make up for his lack of help. Ah, of course he might have managed to talk him into playing with him and finish what they had started but Shaun just enjoyed the little hide-and-seek game they had started by keeping it a secret. And seeing the American startled, embarrassed, horny and confused at once was just priceless. Sometimes he didn't want that to change, ever.

Another part of him though longed for more. Yet, maybe there never would be a ‚more'. Maybe there would only be this. What they had now. With the world as it was, Abstergo as it would chase them, hunt Desmond down and eventually finding them – for it was only a matter of time until they would – he might not even have a chance to get to a proper kind of relationship with that twit that made his head all fuzzy and his brains work in illogical patterns when he was around. Truth was, even if Desmond thought that Shaun was confident about what he was doing all the time, he was not. The thought of rejection was constantly on his mind. And he found it was exceptional that Dez had not yet rejected him fully but instead seemed to embrace what Shaun gave to him so far. A certain kind of insecurity of course was normal in their current situation, even more so for Mr. Desmond _I-thought-I-was-straight_ Miles.

A waving hand in front of his face returned him to reality and he tuned Rebecca's voice back into it.

„_-lloho! You still in there? Ah, what am I even complaining about?! Of course you wouldn't listen anyway. Damn British bastard."_ She punched his shoulder in a rather soft way and returned to her own laptop, sitting down.

He smiled at her back. Yes. That was Rebecca how he knew her. And not even she knew everything about his own history, thoughts and preferences. She actually might have thought he'd be straight. The thought made him actually smirk before he sat down and returned to his work in the field.

Some hours passed until they practically forced Desmond out of the Animus again. He was a little out of breath and startled, looking around just to find Shaun next to him on the seat Rebecca took usually. The golden eyes seemed piercing, yet alarmed when he looked into the face of the Brit. It made a shiver run down Shaun's spine and his lips curl to a smirk again.

„_I figured you might need some rest."_, Shaun explained calmly.

When Desmond finally sat up and looked around, he realized they were alone. His eyes returned to Shaun, still breathless, but now because he held his breath. He couldn't even tell why he did. He just seemed to forget about breathing.

„_Desmond?"_ His voice sounded so smooth in his ears.

„_Huh?"_

„_Breathe."_

There he realized that he had forgotten about it indeed and with a little, weak smile, he drew a breath and released the air from his lungs again a moment later, repeating the process. While he did, he could watch the Brit frown.

„_Are you okay?"_, the redhead asked him. Between his eyebrows was a little crease. Desmond hadn't even realized it was there until now. Maybe he just hadn't seen him in a worried state yet.

„_Yeah.. Yeah I'm alright."_, Dez replied and now finally averted his gaze from Shaun's face, stroking over his own with the palm of his right hand. _„I just.. how long was I in there?"_

Shaun looked at his watch, then back at him. _„Six hours."_, he replied. _„The girls didn't want to pull you out because we are making good progress with your long sessions. But now that they went to bed I figured you might need some rest."_

„_Since when are you worried about me?"_, Desmond asked, a little startled by the soft and understanding tone Shaun's voice had taken on.

„_Oh, that might be since we all know how important you are to prevent Abstergo from dooming the world, really. Probably you did not realize this yet but your body holds the DNA necessary for our cause to succeed, so if you would become sick and your body would not continue to serve its purpose, we might end up having a capable assassin by mind with a non-functioning body which could not end our mission and lead it to success. So of course I am more concerned about our cause and the tools to achieve our goal than-"_

„_Shut up"_ Desmond just breathed, grabbing Shaun by his collar and pulling him into a kiss now that seemed more needy than Shaun might have thought possible. Yet, it now was the Brit who was confused. Where the hell did that come from? And since when was he so confident?

Dez though kissed him and, in his own mind, was worried that Shaun now might pull back or deny him entirely, maybe laugh at him. None of this happened though. The Brit let his fingers trace the ones grabbing his sweatshirt and wander down the arm of the younger man, sliding along his biceps to find his shoulder and a moment later Desmond's collar. His tongue slid over the soft, inviting lips of the barkeeper, who now in fact parted his lips for Shaun to explore him. A chance the geek took without hesitation, glad that he was greeted by Desmond's tongue in return. He slowly got off of the chair and slipped closer to Desmond so he wouldn't have to lean over like that, kneeling down beside him on the edge of the Animus 2.0, supporting himself with the free hand on it, one leg stretched out behind him to give him a bit of support on the ground as well while the other was kneeling.

They were both breathing another's air, into their kiss, sharing their oxygen while their breathing sped up, their kiss intensified. Shaun's hand at the collar wandered down over Desmond's chest, further down to his stomach, the hem of his shirt, pushing it up a tiny bit, just enough to let his slim fingers slip underneath it to feel the warm skin covering the growing muscles underneath. A sound of appreciation fled from his lips into their kiss, then Desmond pulled out of it and gasped for air once.

„_Wait"_ He swallowed hard and it took him some seconds to continue. _„What.. what are we doing here..?"_

Shaun had to snort in an amused way, eyes slowly opening to meet the gaze of Desmond. _„I thought you would know. You initiated it."_,the Brit murmured.

Desmond shook his head a little and released Shaun from his grip_. „I… wanted you to shut up.."_, he said lowly, almost startled, probably by his own action.

„_So… you decided for kissing me rather than telling me to be quiet."_, Shaun asked, perking up an eyebrow.

„_I.. I said shut up."_, Desmond now spoke defensively, making Shaun laugh.

Hearing the voice of the Brit in a laughing but not mocking manner confused him even more. His laugh seemed to be so light-hearted and relieved in some way he could barely believe it was Shaun's. And for a moment, he wasn't so sure if he was really and actually here with Shaun and not in some dream again, until he spoke up again.

„_Right before you kissed me, you twit. Indeed."_ He seemed to have laughed about something on his mind. Never had Desmond wished to have a look into it before, or at least not as badly as he did now.

„_I… I was confused!"_, Desmond claimed. _„I thought—You pulled me right out when I was kissing that woman!"_

Shaun smirked, watching how Desmond evaded his gaze and blushed deeply. _„What did I tell you about lying to me, Desmond?"_

How the fuck did he manage to make his name sound so smoothly and inviting, a hum in his voice that was luring to taste those lips again?

„_That… I should not try. Because I couldn't."_, Desmond replied lowly, resigning.

„_Oh. Good. You remember. After your show I thought you wouldn't."_ The geek smirked, then got up. _„You might need a moment for yourself, I assume. Should you need me, I will be in the kitchen. You must be hungry."_

With those words, he turned away from Desmond and left him to himself for a moment so he could contemplate on the situation and reflect again what had just happened, who had initiated it and maybe even find out why he did it.

It took him no longer than ten minutes before he followed Shaun and entered their little kitchen. He looked at him, standing at the counter, pouring milk into the tea.

A minute of silence passed. He wanted Shaun to break it, but the Brit didn't seem like he would do something like that any time soon.

So Desmond muttered after a while: _„I… I let you down. This uhm.. morning..? Earlier, I mean."_

Still, Shaun did not reply anything but turned around to him, his cup in his hands and sipped his tea calmly, his eyes resting on Desmond's face. He could feel the heat creeping up his cheeks, a blush starting to bloom there.

„_I… made you tea. Did.. did you see it? Was.. it okay?"_

Still no answer.

„_Come on..!"_ By now he seemed restless and sounded desperate. _„Shaun, please, just.. just say something. Please?" _His face showed a perfect puppy gaze, his eyebrows pulled up, making his eyes seem bigger, which were a tiny bit shiny thanks to the dim light in the kitchen, and his mouth a little pursed up.

Finally, after another ten seconds, Shaun's lips curled to a smirk and he put down the cup on the counter, stepping closer and obliterating the space between them with two steps. _„You forgot the milk."_, he said lowly, but his voice did not sound scoldingly or amused now. It sounded husky and more like he had said ‚Get out of your clothes right now and here' instead of telling him how to improve.

A shiver crawled up Desmond's spine to his neck and settled there in a faint tingle that would not cease. A little lost in that thought of how he would undo his clothes and get out of them within three seconds he had not even realised Shaun's hand had lifted and was now occupying the space in his neck, covering exactly the part that was tingling. Or did it prickle because of the hand?

„_What do you have on your mind, Desmond?"_ Again his name. And again, Desmond felt like his knees would become weaker under the pressure of his own body.

„_I…"_, Dez began, but swallowed. He could not tell him that he wanted to know what it felt like to do more than just kissing or jacking off. He couldn't tell him that he was between wanting to touch him and being afraid to touch him. He couldn't tell him any of this. And he by far could not tell him what mental cinema Shaun caused him to have. _„I am tired"_, Desmond ended a little belated. „_Six.. six hours were a really long time. I think… I think I will skip eating and go right to bed.."_ He dropped his gaze. Coward.

Shaun's fingertips stroked over Desmond's nape, then the Brit leaned in and let his lips touch those of Desmond again. _„Then you should sleep."_, he murmured against them a moment later. _„Sometimes it is good to listen to what our bodies say and act accordingly. And there is nothing wrong with it, Desmond. Bear that in mind."_ His fingers released the twit in front of himself and Desmond could not bring himself to another word. He turned and left the kitchen again, heading for his bedroom.


End file.
